Shimla, A Must Visit Hill Station

Shimla - which was once the summer capital of the erstwhile British Raj in India is snuggled in the middle Himalyas in northern India.

Shimla, also spelt as Simla is named after Shyamla Devi, an incarnation of the fierce goddess Kali and is now a capital of North Indian State Himachal Pradesh.

The district is located in the Middle Western ranges of the Himalayas. This region has a hilly terrain and has an uneven cover of evergreen pine forests. The city spreads over the hill at an average altitude of 2000 meters (roughly 6500 feet) above mean sea level.

The capital holds down its colonial heritage, with grand old buildings; among them are the stately Viceregal Lodge, charming iron lamp posts and Anglo-Saxon names. Apart from its natural beauty, Shimla is also renowned for its architectural buildings, wooden crafts Kullu and Kinnauri Shawls, Tibetan Carpets and apples.

The popular hill station of India retains many places of interests, like:

The Mall Road: A famous place frequently visited even by the locals, and is packed with shops, gift galleries, eateries, ice-cream parlors and famous Scandal Point - a large open square with a view of the town and a favorite rendezvous for visitors and the local people, placed at the top end of Mall.

Ridge: It is a heart of the city and the favorite meeting place adjacent to the Mall Road.
The Ridge is a medium grounded place having many benches placed on one side for the people to sit and enjoy the view and the cool breeze. Many State related functions and fairs take place here. An elegant Christ Church adds to the beauty and ambience of this place.

Lakkar Bazaar: A marketplace adjoining the Ridge with shops offering wooden articles targeted mainly towards tourists. Beside many hotels, Lakkar Bazaar also consists of roller skating rink. The state hospital known as Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) and hospital is also located close to Lakkar Bazaar.

Gaiety Theatre: Located on the Mall road, this is one of the oldest theatres in the world. It was opened on the 30th of May, 1887, Queen Victoria's Jubilee Year.
Viceregal Lodge: Also known as the Rashtrapati Niwas was formerly the residence of the British Viceroy Lord Dufferin. This is the most beautiful building in Shimla. It houses some of the most ancient articles going back to the times of the British rule and the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, India's premier academy for higher research.

Kufri: It is a tiny hill station located at a higher altitude than the Shimla town and is 9 km from Shimla. The local zoo and the ski slopes are major tourist attractions. Adventure-seeking travelers throng Kufri in winters to enjoy skiing and tobogganing along its snow-covered slopes.
Naldehra: The Green grounded place boasts of a 9 hole golf course and is another tourist attraction of Shimla. Many movies have also been shot here.
Annandale Hill: This is Shimla's highest point and is rewards you with some superb views of the town and its surroundings once you make it. There is a pretty picnic spot beyond Annandale located in the thickly Wooded Glen, beside a sparkling stream at a distance of 4 Km.
Places of Worship : Shimla is also famous for its worshipping places like Kali Bari-a temple of the Hindu goddess Kali, only five minutes walk from Mall Road, Jakhoo Temple-a temple of the Hindu god Hanuman, located at the highest point in Shimla (2600 m above mean sea level, about a 30 minute to one hour walk from the mall). Sankat Mochan-another temple of the Hindu god Hanuman, located on Shimla-Kalka Highway. Tara Devi Temple is about 10 km from Shimla, directly visible from the city. Bihangrao is also an ancient temple with a splendid example of traditional Himachal architecture.
There is also a small temple of Kamna Devi on the top of the Prospect Hill, a 15 minute climb from Boileauganj, another favourite walk and vantage point with astounding views.
Summer Hill is a quite and lovely place for shady walks and charming views. Himachal Pradesh University is also located in this Hill. Just beyond Summer Hill is the 67 m waterfall called Chadwick Falls, cascading into a deep gorge. The Falls are best seen after the monsoon.
Shimla is accessible by road, air and railway, but road is perhaps the best means of transport.

Shimla has an airport called The Jubbarhatti airport, which is 23-km away from Shimla city with regular flights to Delhi. The flights to Shimla may be called off, during the winter months of December, January and February, so one has to check them up in advance.

Broad-gauge trains run till Kalka, from all the parts of the country, as Shimla has a narrow gauge railway line on which a rail car on narrow gauge runs from Kalka to Shimla. Kalka connects Shimla to other parts of the country.
Shimla is connected by road to Chandigarh, Delhi, Dehradun, Kalka, and to many other major towns and cities. There is a regular bus service from Delhi and Chandigarh. Semi deluxe, deluxe and AC coaches for Shimla are also available.

Hotels in Shimla offer travelers an ideal base to visit the hill. These hotels are well equipped with all the modern facilities. The options range from luxurious, luxurious five star hotels, cottages and holiday resorts to economy class and budget hotels and lodging rooms.

Best time to visit the Hill Station of Himachal is from October to November, between December and February; winter sets in with temperatures around zero degree Celsius, and heavy snowfall in the area. This is also a great time for the Skiing lovers to throng the valley. The tourist inflow is at its peak during April, May, and June, when other parts of the country remain hot.